Fire fighter&#39;s shield



Feb, 18, 1958 J. T. GARRls FIRE FIGHTERS SHIELD Filed July 26, 1955 James I Garris INVENTOR. M40162. BY fiwfim United S ates O asses, mm: mamas flames T. Garrls, chums, N. c. Application July 26, 1955, semi No. 524,562

3 Claims. (or. 160-135) This invention generally relates to a safety device and more specifically provides a fire fighters shield for the protection of firemen when they are fighting fire.

An object of the present invention provides a fire fighters shield including in its construction a pair of panels hingedly connected together at their adjacent edges together with means for supporting the panels in upstanding relation and permitting passage of water hoses therethrough so that a fireman may stand behind the panels and discharge water onto a fire without the heat of the fire endangering him thereby permitting the fire-fighting operation to be conducted in relative safety.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fire fighters shield having a supporting platform upon which the fireman may stand during the fire-fighting operation together with a plurality of openings for the direction of a fire hose nozzle together with transparent viewing panels to judge the results of the water being discharged through the openings and to permit the fire nozzles to be aimed and directed for the most efiicient use.

Other important objects of the present invention reside in its simplicity of construction, safety, efiiciency for its purposes, ease of assembly and disassembly, adaptation for its particular purposes and it relatively inexpensive manufacturing cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fire fighters shield of the present invention in unfolded or extended position and ready for use;

Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the fire fighters shield of the present invention in folded relation;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the construction of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the construction of Figure 2.

With reference to the ofiicial drawings, the numeral generally designates the fire fighter's shield of the present invention including a first panel 12 and a second panel 14 hingedly attached together at their adjacent edges by hinge means 16 and releasably locked in aligned position by a latch mechanism generally designated by the numeral 18 positioned centrally of the panels 12 and 14. The hinges 16 normally face the fire and the latch 18 normally faces away from the fire.

Each of the panels 12 and 14 are provided with an opening 20 adjacent the center thereof for permitting passage of a fire nozzle 22 directed by a fireman 24. Also, the adjacent edges of the panels 12 and 14 are each provided with a semi-circular opening 26 which are aligned for providing a third passageway for a fire nozzle 22. Also, each of the panels 12 and 14 are provided with an enlarged opening 28 having a transparent panel 2 ,823,744 Patented Feb. 18, 8

charged from the nozzle 22 thereby providing the most efiicient use of the nozzle 22. The upper end of each of the panels 12 and 14 is provided a reversely bent U-shaped portion 32 for strengthening and rigidifying the panels 12 and 14.

The outer edges of each of the panels 12 and 14 is provided with a tubular portion 34 extending throughout the length thereof and having a central opening 36 for receiving a clamp 38 secured to a vertical tubular rod 40 within the tubular sleeves 34. The clamp 38 projects through the opening 36 and pivotally receives the upper end of a brace 42 which normally extends toward the fire for engaging a supporting surface and retaining the panels 12 and 14 in vertical position.

Each of the tubular rods 40 is provided with a right angular lower end 44 for pivotally receiving a tubular end 46 of a supporting platform 48 that is provided with a downwardly opening recess 50 at the other end thereof wherein the recess 50 engages the other lower end 44 wherein the platform 48 supports the fireman 24 and also retains panels 12 and 14 in vertical position. The platform 48 is provided with reinforcing rods 52 depending transversely and longitudinally thereof for forming additional and rigidifying support for the platform 48 and spacing the platform 48 from a supporting surface.

The latch 13 is provided with a sliding bolt 54 for engagement in a sleeve 56 and retracts into bracket 58 whereby the panels 12 and 14 are releasably retained in aligned relation.

The device may be constructed of any suitable lightweight sheet material having the necessary insulation qualities wherein the shield 10 may be employed by firemen and folded to the position illustrated in Figure 2 for easy portability wherein a fireman may get much closer to a flame than usual for playing or directing the nozzle 22 at the flame for most effective use of the water discharged from the nozzle 22.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A fire fighters shield comprising a pair of vertically disposed panels hingedly interconnected at their adjacent edges, means selectively locking the panels in aligned relation, said panels having openings therein for the passage of water hose nozzles and water, a transparent section in each panel for viewing a fire and aiming the water from the nozzle, and a platform hingedly connected to said panels and being disposed at the bottom for resting on a supporting surface whereby a person using the panels as a shield will step on the platform and retain the panels in vertical disposition, each of said panels having a tubular outer edge pivotally receiving an elongated rod, each of said rods having a right angularly extending lower end, said platform having one tubular end pivotally mounted on the lower end of one of said rods, the other end of said platform having a downwardly facing recess for detachable engagement over the lower end of the other rod thereby permitting folding of the panels and platform to a superposed relation.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the tubular edges of said panels are provided with openings, clamp members attached to said rods and extending through the openings, outwardly and downwardly extending props pivotally attached to said clamps for extending to the opposite side of the panels from the platform for supporting the panels in vertical operative position.

3. A fire fighters shield comprising a vertically disposed panel having an enlarged opening for passage of a water hose nozzle or water therefrom, a transparent section in the upper portion of said panel, a platform hingedly attached to said panel, said panel being horizontally disposed at the lower edge of the panel for resting on a supporting surface whereby a person using the panel as a shield will be positioned on the platform for anchoring the panel, and prop means pivotally conaaaagm nected to said panel and projecting in opposite relation to the platform for maintaining the panel in vertical position, said prop means and platform being capable of folding to a position alongside said panel for facilitating the transportation of the shield.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 589,062 Woodrufi Aug. 31, 1897 973,936 -Graves Oct. 25, 1910 2,465,l47 Butler et al Mar. 22, 1949 

